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Moon's Spawn
Moon's Spawn (also known as the Tiste Andii's Fang of Darkness)Gardens of the Moon, Chapter 12 was a floating fortress, or skykeep, with a city inside commandeered by the Tiste Andii. According to Anomander Rake, the city was home to children, priests, and three very bookish warlocks.Gardens of the Moon, Chapter 6, UK MMPB p.212 The fortress also sheltered a huge flock of Great Ravens nesting in the crags and pocks of the Moon's surface and numbering thirty thousand according to one estimate. Within the rock's caverns was the lair of Silanah, the Eleint.Gardens of the Moon, Chapter 17, US HC p.364 Tattersail described it as ragged as a blackened tooth,Gardens of the Moon, Chapter 2, UK MMPB p.61 an enormous floating mountain, its basaltGardens of the Moon, Glossary, UK MMPB p.711 exterior battered by time. During its entire time over Pale it revolved steadily until it stopped at the beginning of the final battle. At that point, a recess with a portal appeared near the top.Gardens of the Moon, Chapter 2, UK MMPB p.74 The floating nature of Moon's Spawn made it impossible for enemies to lay siege. The fortress was so notorious that the undead army of Logros T'lan Imass were unable or unwilling to assault its magical defenses. Moon's Spawn was ruled by Anomander Rake, the Tiste Andii warlord and defender of Mother Dark. It had the ability to travel. Moon's Spawn and its Lord had confronted the Malazan Empire before, in the days of the Emperor, but at the time had withdrawn for no known reason.Gardens of the Moon, Chapter 2, UK MMPB p.71 The Moon's Spawn was also known as the Moon's Child by some.Dancer's Lament, Chapter 13 Within the skykeep, Anomander Rake's throne room was a high-ceilinged chamber twenty paces wide and more than forty paces long. His throne sat on a raised dais at one end of the room.Memories of Ice, Chapter 25, US SFBC p.986 In Gardens of the Moon ] Moon's Spawn's appearance on Genabackis at Pale came as a complete surprise to the invading Malazan Empire, and its presence on the side of the defenders caused the Siege of Pale to drag out over three years.Gardens of the Moon, Chapter 2, UK MMPB p.61/66 On the last day of the siege, Moon's Spawn came under the combined attack of the mages of the besieging army, amongst them Tayschrenn, Nightchill, and Tattersail. The first attack caused the flock of Great Ravens to take flight. Further attacks sheared large chunks off the Moon's face sending them down in a burning and smoking rain of destruction on Pale. The skykeep, on fire in a dozen places, leaning to one side, and unsteady in its revolutions, moved away from the city. It headed off south towards the Tahlyn MountainsGardens of the Moon, Chapter 2, UK MMPB p.77 and was later known to have crossed them towards Lake Azur.Gardens of the Moon, Chapter 3, UK MMPB p.113 At the beginning of the events in Darujhistan, Moon's Spawn was somewhere to the south of the city, possibly over the Dwelling Plain, and was described as having shattered peaks upon its crest.Gardens of the Moon, Chapter 6, UK MMPB p.194 The city's Noble Council positioned representatives in a tent on the plain below in a fruitless effort to communicate.Gardens of the Moon, Chapter 7, US HC p.171 On the night of the Gedderone Fête, Anomander Rake sent Moon's Spawn down upon the city, nearly brushing the tallest rooftops, in order to clear the streets of revelers.Gardens of the Moon, Chapter 22, US HC p.453Gardens of the Moon, Chapter 23, US HC p.463 After the Bridgeburners abandoned the city it was seen drifting southwards.Gardens of the Moon, Epilogue, US HC p.486 In Memories of Ice During the war with the Pannion Domin, Moon's Spawn and Anomander Rake were Caladan Brood's Shaved Knuckle in the Hole.Memories of Ice, Chapter 5, US SFBC p.167 The skykeep disappeared southeastwards from Darujhistan after Rake and Brood made an alliance with the forces of renegade Malazan High Fist Dujek Onearm.Memories of Ice, Chapter 1, US SFBC p.45 It made no appearance during the allied armies' relief of the Siege of Capustan and even trustworthy partners such as Korlat and Crone were kept ignorant of its location.Memories of Ice, Chapter 22, US SFBC p.789-791 The Pannion Seer's Condor servants could not find the skykeep within two hundred leagues of Coral.Memories of Ice, Chapter 22, US SFBC p.784 At the height of the Battle of Black Coral, the skykeep burst upwards from its hiding place within the deep waters of Ortnal's Cut at the city's edge. Riven with fissures draining tremendous volumes water, the skykeep crashed into the roof of the keep where the Pannion Seer was protected by undead K'ell Hunters. In the process, the Seer's adopted mother, a K'Chain Che'Malle Matron was killed.Memories of Ice, Chapter 25, US SFBC p.935-936/942-943 After the battle, Moon's Spawn was too badly damaged to remain inhabitable. Large portions of rock continued to slough off and its deepest interior chambers were so drowned in water that the skykeep could barely hold its own weight. The Tiste Andii abandoned their home leaving all of their possessions behind to occupy Black Coral. The fallen Bridgeburners were placed in sarcophaguses within the skykeep's throne room by Anomander Rake. The failing Moon's Spawn was then sent out over the Rust Ocean where it was presumed to have crashed into the sea.Memories of Ice, Chapter 25, US SFBC p.945/948/979/982/985-988 In House of Chains After the discovery of Moon's Spawn, Osseric spent time in the fortress studying it. He observed that Moon's Spawn showed signs of damage, breaching, and slaughter. Nevertheless, a few of its original inhabitants survived long enough to send the fortress on its journey home over the northern icefields where it had become entrapped by a glacier. Osseric determined that Moon's Spawn had been one of the K'Chain Che'Malle's skykeeps and he withdrew from the world to continue his study of the alien mechanisms.House of Chains, Chapter 21, US SFBC p.687 In Orb Sceptre Throne It was revealed that upon crashing into the Rivan Sea, Moon's Spawn caused a tremendous tidal wave that killed nearly all of the inhabitants of Hurly, a small fishing village. Moon's Spawn, however, did not immediately sink. Instead it created a series of small islands, known as "the Spawns", which drew the attention of all manner of treasure hunters, thieves, pirates, brigands, and the like.Orb Sceptre Throne, Chapter 1, US HC p.33Orb Sceptre Throne, Map All sought the riches and wealth of the Tiste Andii people, which was said to remain inside the Spawn. Some few even sought the Throne of Darkness. Eventually Moon's Spawn sank "four fathoms down" to rest, Bridgeburners and all. Origin Moon's Spawn was originally created by the K'Chain Nah'ruk as part of their war against the K'Chain Che'Malle "long-tails". As described in Gothos' Folly, the Nah'ruk bound sorcery within their mechanisms and created skykeeps that allowed them to wreak destruction from the air. The Pannion Seer claimed Moon's Spawn was the only skykeep to escape destruction in that war, and while damaged, was abandoned and allowed to drift. Eventually, it collided with the ice of Jaghut sorcery and was frozen for millenia until rediscovered by Anomander Rake and Osserc north of the Laederon Plateau. The Seer argued that Rake and the Andii were unaware of the skykeep's full powers and could not access them even if informed.Memories of Ice, Chapter 22, US SFBC p.783-784 Osserc believed Rake never understood the true origin of his fortress. Notes and references es:Engendro de Luna de:Mondbrut pl:Odprysk Księżyca Category:Skykeeps